How have you spent the past 50 days?
Take a moment to think about where you were on December 5th of last year. How did you spend the weeks leading up to the holidays? Where were you for Christmas? What did you do for New Years? How have the first few weeks of 2012 treated you?
While you and I have been going about our daily routines, one of my coworkers, Alex Mackenzie, has spent every day of the last seven weeks rowing across the Atlantic Ocean in a small boat.
Yes, you read that right. The Atlantic Ocean.
Alex and his team knew they would have to endure unpredictable weather conditions, cold nights, and 24-hour operations—long hours of rowing (punctuated by brief two-hour rest spells). Since leaving the coast of Africa, however, they’ve also had to contend with malfunctioning navigation equipment, broken water desalinators, and a shattered rudder.
Oh, and did I mention that most of the team members don’t have all their limbs?
That’s where the story gets interesting—and inspiring. The Row2Recovery team is made up of two able-bodied and four injured British servicemembers. Their goal isn’t just to reach Barbados, they’re leading by example to inspire injured soldiers and their families to achieve the extraordinary. They’re also out to raise £1 million for injured service personnel and their families.
Tune into their progress here or follow them on twitter. They’re just hours away from the shores of Barbados and the end of their epic journey. You can learn more about the campaign or contribute to the cause at their website: www.row2recovery.com
Your turn.
Row2Recovery was born in the mind of Alex and two of his Army buddies, one of whom lost his leg to an improvised bomb in Afghanistan. What vision is gnawing at your soul, trying to get out?
What’s your dream? Sign up for the Leap Challenge and make 2012 the year you turn your ambition into action.
I’m not a fan of New Year resolutions. Why? Three reasons:
- I stink at them.
- I feel compelled to think them up on the last day of the year, in a post-holiday coma, with no clear plan of how I’m actually going to accomplish them. (Is it any wonder that 88% of New Year resolutions fail?)
- They promise hope but deliver guilt.
So we’re 23 days into 2012—how are you doing on your New Year resolutions? Odds are you’ve slipped up a little here and there. That’s assuming you haven’t tossed the whole idea after temptation tackled your willpower in a moment of weakness and beat you back into submission.
I’m willing to bet you’ve got stuff you want to do—important stuff, stuff that matters. Call it whatever you like—your dreams, your goals, your bucket list—but it’s always there: inspiring, goading, even taunting you toward something higher, something bigger, something better.
Maybe you’ve got an idea for a non-profit or a vision for expanding your business. Maybe you want to learn to play the piano or to write that book. Maybe it’s saving for that trip to Antarctica, or getting in shape.
Whatever it is, if you’re like many people I know, those dreams aren’t even on the back burner, they’re stuffed somewhere safe, in some cold, dark cabinet. They’re just waiting for you win the lottery. And you aren’t even buying tickets.
To say 2011 has been a big year for me and my family would be a gross understatement. I left my old job and started a new one, moved from New York City to Northwest Arkansas, and welcomed a new baby into our family. In addition to these huge life changes, this blog has seen its traffic grow ten-fold.
As I did last year, I decided to collect the year’s ten best blog posts all in one place. I defined “best” based on page views, number of comments, and my own completely biased opinions. With 80 posts to choose from this year, selecting the top ten was tough—here they are:
Leadership or Manipulation? This February post deals with the thin line between leading others and manipulating them.
I’ve spent the past three weeks sleep-deprived and perpetually behind in just about every area of my life. My routines have been shredded, my energy sapped, my patience eroded, and my disciplines decimated. My home office is a mess, I can’t seem to get into a groove at work, and I haven’t written a new blog post in weeks.
You know how that makes me feel?
Just fine.
Why? Because on Sunday evening, November 27th, my wife gave birth to our third child—a healthy baby girl we named Elena Grace. You might think by #3 this would become old hat. Not even a little. This tiny miracle overwhelmed Sarah and I just as much as her older brother and sister did when they arrived.
Leading on Purpose
Glad you stopped by. I hope you'll find some tips, tales, and truths here to feed that growing leader in you. Jump right in and start leading on purpose today!
